Although our bodies are ready to become mothers in our teens, after 17 years of motherhood I have learned that, while my body may have been ready, my mind was not.
I had my daughter when I was 17. I had two children by the age of 20.
As I’m sure is the case for most teen mothers, though I didn’t actively set out to have a baby, I certainly didn’t prioritise contraception. I was well aware of how babies are made. I was damaged, as we all are to varying degrees.
Watch: Laura Byrne talks about the pressure to be a 'good mum'. Post continues below.
Whether it was trauma or a teenage mind, I can’t be sure but my memories from that time are fuzzy and a lot of the time, I was dissociated. Not in a good place to be making decisions that impact on so many other human beings.
With my daughter now the age I was when I gave birth to her, here’s a little of what I’ve learned in the last 17 years:
Love isn’t all that matters
When my daughter was born, I felt filled up and complete - everything I had ever dreamed of came true.